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D. General Vehicle Information
1.
You MUST Review Your
Vehicle Owner’s Manual
Your vehicle owner’s manual
will let you know what vehicle
belts and seating positions child
restraints can be installed in.
2.
Determine How the Child
Restraint Will Be Locked Into
Place
The vehicle belt MUST NOT loosen
after tightening.
This means there needs to be a
way to lock the vehicle belt.
3.
Check the Retractor
Retractors pull seat belts into
stored positions and lock the belt
to hold passengers in place.
A retractor is most likely how you
will be locking a child restraint into
place.
The ways this can be done are:
• By using the seat belt’s retractor; or
• By using the seat belt’s latch plate.
Not all vehicle belts and seating positions will work with
child restraints. Please follow the following steps to under-
stand how to lock a child restraint with a vehicle belt.
See the next page for some common types of vehicle belt retrac-
tors that will work with this child restraint.
D-3 Knowing Your Vehicle Belts
Switchable Retractor
(most vehicles have this type)
Automatic Locking Retractor
Emergency Locking Retractor
This retractor can be switched to a locking mode.
You
MUST
have the retractor in the locking mode to use the
seat belt with this child restraint.
Switching to locking mode:
Slowly pull the shoulder belt
all the way out, then let it go back in an inch or two.
As it goes back, in you will most likely hear a ratcheting
sound.
Gently pull the belt to see if it has locked. You will not be able
to pull any more belt out if the lock has engaged.
This retractor always locks.
It will automatically lock after slowly pulling the seat belt out
at least halfway and letting the belt go back into the retractor
an inch or two.
If the retractor does not lock, it is most likely an Emergency
Locking Retractor. These retractors only lock during a sudden
stop or collision.
You will need to determine if your seat belt’s latch plate can
lock the belt. See Step 4, “Check the Latch Plates,” on next
page.
Types of Retractors
See Step 4, “Check
the Latch Plates,”
on next page.
continued on next page.
